RTV 3007 INTRODUCTION TO TELECOMMUNICATION

SPRING 2008 ● SEC 5634 MWF PERIOD 8 ● GANNETT AUDITORIUM (1064 WEIMER)

Instructor: Justin Brown, Ph.D. Office: 3051 Weimer Telephone: 846-1428 Email: jbrown@jou.ufl.edu Office Hours: WF noon-2:00 p.m. & by appointment Course Website: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/faculty/jbrown/rtv3007/

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES The primary goal of this course is to help you learn the structure, institutions and practices involved in the U.S. telecommunication industry. Such knowledge will provide you with the necessary background to be successful as you develop and pursue your own telecommunication major and career — whether in news, production or operations. For those pursuing other educational endeavors and professional aspirations, this course will enhance your understanding of the telecommunication industry and its role in society. With a survey course, it is impossible to explore in-depth examinations of specialized topics. In fact, for those of who you are pursuing telecommunication careers, you will likely revisit many of the concepts discussed this semester in further coursework as you progress toward achieving your degree. For those who have taken advanced telecommunication courses, this course will broaden your current understanding of the telecommunications field. This course embarks on providing a general roadmap of the telecommunication industry, with an emphasis on learning specifically about broadcasting and cable. Upon completion of the course, you will be expected to know:

• Historical underpinnings involved in the development of broadcasting and cable television

• Technologies involved in electronic media and how they affect the structure, economics and regulation of particular outlets

• Structure and organization of electronic media industries, in particular the various facets of broadcasting and cable and their relationships to networks and programming

• Economic considerations of electronic media, including programming and ratings • Regulation that governs the manner in which electronic media operate • Lexicon and jargon that’s involved within various subsets of the telecommunication

industry While this course will focus heavily on broadcasting and cable television, developments and changes in new media, business practices, converging markets and regulatory philosophy are leading to dramatic changes in the telecommunication industry, including the rise of the Internet and deployment of broadband services. This course will attempt to incorporate and discuss recent trends and developments as much as possible.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

Text: Davies & Upshaw, Principles of Electronic Media, 2nd ed., 2005. Required Notes Slides & Video Study Questions available through UF libraries e-

reserve, available at: https://ares.uflib.ufl.edu/. These are organized by topic areas (e.g. Part I) that correspond to how we cover material in the course. Please bring these items to class with you to assist note-taking.

LIST SERVE & SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS

During the semester, you’ll be expected to regularly check the course list serve by accessing your Gatorlink email account to obtain announcements and helpful reminders updating you on the progress of the course. I will also post useful reading links to the list serve and website that serve to supplement your understanding of the telecommunications industry and comprehension of course material. All registered students will automatically have their Gatorlink email address added to the course list serve and you must use your Gatorlink ID and password to access your exam scores online. To access your grades, please click on the “Grades” section of the menu bar within the course website. The telecommunication industry changes rapidly, and reading newspapers and periodicals is often the only way to keep up. If you don’t already do so, you’re advised to read national daily newspapers (e.g., New York Times, Wall St. Journal) as well as weekly trade publications (e.g., Broadcasting & Cable) to monitor changes. You may also wish to review and or subscribe to Communications-Related Headlines, a news-clipping service delivered via email by the Benton Foundation. You may learn more about this free service at http://www.benton.org/News/. In addition, you may also register with TVinsite for their free email clipping service at http://www.tvinsite.com/. Texts that were previously used for this class may be consulted as supplementary resources and are available on reserve in the Journalism library, located on the first floor of Weimer: Broadcasting, Cable, the Internet & Beyond (5th Edition, 2004), Broadcasting in America: A Survey of Electronic Media (9th Edition, 2001) & Perspectives on Radio and Television (4th Edition, 1998). Another useful, job-related text entitled Careers in Media (2007) is also on reserve.

ATTENDANCE & CLASS MEETINGS Countless studies demonstrate that students who attend regularly perform better and learn more than those who don't attend class. Such research holds true even in introductory survey courses. Despite the large number of peers, this course works best when there is a discussion of ideas and sharing of questions and answers to discern difficult concepts. Your input and active participation are encouraged to help you and others learn more effectively. Although class meetings serve to enhance and enlighten the comprehension of material that is presented in the assigned readings, you will also be responsible for details presented in class that are not directly evident in the text, including any class handouts, video material or guest speakers. Be forewarned that material presented during class will also reflect recent developments in the telecommunication industry, effectively updating the text and other reading materials. Because the telecommunication industry is so complex, this course will cover a lot of material and proceed at a brisk pace. As a result, regular attendance is necessary to succeed in this course.

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ASSESSMENT

Item Exam I (Feb 8) 300 points Exam II (March 7) 300 points Exam III (May 1) 400 points ---------------- Total 1000 points

Semester Grade Scale A 1000-900 points B+ 899-870 points B 869-800 points C+ 799-770 points C 769-700 points D+ 699-670 points D 669-600 points E 599-0 points

EXAMS Your class grade is based entirely on three exams that make-up your overall semester grade (see above chart). The exams will contain multiple choice, true/false and/or matching “objective” questions that measure your understanding of key concepts. Exam material will be drawn from class discussions and readings. Based upon class performance, exams may be curved to reflect their difficulty. Study guides will be issued roughly one week ahead of time to review for exams. You are advised to use the PowerPoint slides and notes taken during class to review the study guide and prepare for each exam. Part of the class prior to an exam will be used to entertain any questions that you may have regarding course material. Generally speaking, nearly all of the material will be drawn from what we’ve covered during class. You must have a Gatorlink ID to access your exam grades online. All registered students will be able to access their grades via the Internet by following the instructions online at: http://vista.courses.ufl.edu. If you do not have a Gatorlink ID or can’t remember your login information, please visit http://gatorlink.ufl.edu or call the CIRCA help desk at 392-HELP. Absolutely NO make-up exams will be given without prior notification AND subsequent documentation of a medical excuse or other personal emergency. Arrangements for any make-up exams must be made within 72 hours of the original exam date. This policy will be strictly enforced — no exceptions!

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

You are expected to abide by the University’s Honor Code and Academic Honesty Guidelines. Cheating will result in an automatic zero for the exam and an “F” for the overall course. Because of the large number of students in the course, you must bring your Gator 1 ID to all exams. All University Policies regarding academic honesty (Rule 6C1-4.017) will be strictly enforced.

STUDENTS WITH CHALLENGES I will make reasonable accommodations for persons who have special challenges in comprehending subject matter while abiding by the standard code of confidentiality. Please notify me at the beginning of the semester if you have any type of special academic needs and I will work with you to make any necessary arrangements. Students with such challenges must first register with the Dean of Students Office and then provide me with an official statement from the Dean of Students Office detailing his or her situation.

ADDENDUMS & CHANGES Based upon our progress, I reserve the right to amend and change the syllabus, reading schedules and exam dates in this course.

COURSE CALENDAR & READING ASSIGNMENTS

Assigned book chapters are from Principles of Electronic Media (2nd ed., 2005)

General principles involved with understanding electronic media

How broadcasting evolved from radio to digital television

Early pioneers in broadcasting

The rise of cable television, satellites and the Internet.

Historical conditions which contribute to the current structure and operation of the

electronic media industries

Exam I – Friday, Feb 8

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: JAN 7-FEB 6

READ CHS. 1, 2, & 3 OPTIONAL COURSE WEBSITE: REVIEW “HISTORY” LINKS — SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES

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Overview of digital technologies, including the Internet, broadband, satellites and

wireless applications related to the mass media.

A review of how broadcast radio and television works, including the different

properties of frequencies, waves and electromagnetic spectrum

The main differences between analog and digital television

The technological, programming and service considerations of both digital

television and satellite radio

How the technical characteristics of radio and television affect the structure,

regulation and economics of electronic media systems

How satellites, cable and other distribution systems operate

Exam II – Friday, March 7

TECHNOLOGICAL ELEMENTS OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA: FEB 11-MAR 5

READ CHS. 4, 5 & 3 (PP 53-55, 61-65) OPTIONAL COURSE WEBSITE: REVIEW “TECHNOLOGY” LINKS — SUPPLEMENTAL

RESOURCES

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Commercial station organization and operations

Overview of the network system, including the differences between broadcast

and cable networks

Relationships between broadcast networks and their affiliates

Cable television organization and operations, including their relationships with

broadcasting

Ownership regulations that affect competition, diversity & localism

“Public interest” justifications for the regulation of electronic media, including

diversity and localism

Institutions involved in electronic media regulation and policy

The structure of the FCC and the regulatory process

Indecency and other content regulation pertaining to broadcast and cable

STRUCTURE OF BROADCAST & CABLE: MARCH 17- MARCH 31

READ CHS. 3 (PP 49-65) & 6

OPTIONAL COURSE WEBSITE: REVIEW “INDUSTRY STRUCTURE” LINKS — SUPPLEMENTAL

RESOURCES

TELECOMMUNICATION LAW & REGULATION: APRIL 2-7

READ CH. 11 OPTIONAL COURSE WEBSITE: REVIEW “LAW & REGULATION” LINKS — SUPPLEMENTAL

RESOURCES

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Program origination and strategies

The differences between network programming and syndication

Review of radio and television ratings services and operations

The use of ratings information for programming and advertising purposes

The statistical calculation of different types of ratings

Exam III – Thursday, May 1 (12:30-2:30) This exam takes place during our regularly scheduled final exam time. The exam is not cumulative and will only cover material on industry structure, regulation, programming and ratings.

PROGRAMMING & RATINGS: APRIL 9-APRIL 23

READ CHS. 7 & 9 OPTIONAL COURSE WEBSITE: REVIEW “RATINGS” LINKS — SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES